6 OPINION EDITORIAL THE new year of 2015 is a lot less happy for over a quarter of the ratepayers of the Wattle Range Council area. The unpleasant news that pensioners are about to lose their government-funded rates concession is reported in this edition of The South Eastern Times. Council staff estimate almost 1300 pensioners will be affected and their rates will probably jump by an average of $217 in the next financial year. In its wisdom, Wattle Range Council has decided against making up the shortfall due to the funding cutbacks by the two other tiers of government. The council has also decided to support the Local Government Association’s efforts to lobby the federal and state governments for a change of heart about rates concessions. Other councils around the state are doing the same. It is a sure bet that there will be a lot of finger-pointing between the state and federal governments about who is to blame for the situation. Optimists would be hopeful the two other tiers of government will perform a funding backflip, but realists would say such decisions are seldom reversed. In the coming months Wattle Range Council will be faced with a number of tough decisions when setting its budget for 2015/16. Community pressure might prompt council to continue to provide pensioner rates concessions, find savings or cut services to fund them or impose a higher rate burden on non-pensioner ratepayers. Council might decide to continue to provide a discount to pensioners, but not at the same level as in 2014/15. Come what may, council will consult the community in coming months about its 2015/16 budget and financial plan. There will be ample opportunities for residents to air their views about the fate of pensioner rate concessions. LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Adventure opens eyes to mining impacts Cup support praised ABN: 65 007 614851 Published: Tuesday & Thursday Deadlines: Displays: 10am 2 days prior to publication Classifieds: 11am day prior to publication Copy: 5pm 2 days prior to publication General Manager: Robin Reid Email: robin.reid@tbw.com.au Advertising: Katherine Taylor Email: ads@setimes.com.au Advertising Manager: Dennis Jackson Phone: 8724 1535, Email: dennis@tbw.com.au Editor: Jason Wallace Email: editor@setimes.com.au Administration: Caroline Hammat Email: admin@setimes.com.au Responsibility for editorial comment is taken by Jason Wallace, 81 Commercial Street East Mount Gambier The SE Times proudly uses 100% recycled paper Send your news tips and contributions to: journo1@setimes.com.au Published by The Border Watch Pty Ltd ABN: 78 007 828 819 Registered office: 42 Davenport Street, Millicent SA 5280 Postal address: PO Box 22, Millicent SA 5280 Telephone: (08) 8733 3755 Fax: (08) 8733 4341 Business Hours: 8.30am - 5.00pm, Monday - Friday Proud Member of the Audited by the Australian Bureau of Circulation 598996 6 - The South Eastern Times, Thursday, January 1, 2015 www.thesoutheasterntimes.com.au EARLIER this year we travelled to Germany, where we visited a town called Tauer in the area of Brandenburg and while visiting we were taken to see a local open cut coal mine in the area. We were horrified with the impact on the environment and the dusty haze hanging over the area. There were groves of trees that were dead due to the impact of the underground water in the area being affected. This kind of mining has consumed many villages in the area and at some stage they would have been home to communities for generations. These people have been relocated and are victims to coal exploration and production and their history lost forever. We are both locally born and bred ourselves, having raised our children in Kingston in the South East, and we are in favour of a moratorium and parliamentary inquiry into “gas exploration and extraction, fracking and invasive mining” in the Limestone Coast. Unconventional and conventional gas and invasive mining in the South East needs to be investigated independently and transparently for the potential impacts on the landscape, land use, underground water, livestock contamination, wildlife, air emissions, mercury emissions, greenhouse gas emissions, radiation exposure and health risks to our rural communities. The Kingston SE (coal) Lignite Project should not go ahead in this region because of the potential impacts. Representation for all parties involved with vested interests in this inquiry should be of their own choosing. Evidence must be factual, no stone being left unturned. Independent and transparent you might say. We run an electrical business in Kingston and rely on the township residents and farmers, fishermen and tourism operators to name a few to support our electrical business. If our region should be put in jeopardy, then our water, food bowl, health and livelihood would be put at risk. Industrialisation of our landscape would mean our childhood memories and heritage would be lost forever. Rosemary and John Heinrich, Kingston STREET SWEEPER What are your new year’s resolutions for 2015? AMBER CHESTER Furner To look after my two dogs and my two cats. JOHN BLEBY Adelaide To take good care of my dear wife and our three sons. TRISH GARNER Millicent Better myself in my career as a disability and aged care worker. THE running of the inaugural Millicent Pacing Cup was held last Sunday and the Mount Gambier Harness Racing Club would like to thank the Millicent community for the great support we received on the night. We would also like to thank the numerous sponsors for their generous support that helped make the meeting a success. Particular thanks go to Millicent Stockfeed and Saddlery for sponsoring the cup, the Millicent Veterinary Clinic, Caramar Buslines for providing transport to and from the track, Somerset Hotel-Motel, Tony Egan’s Mensland and the Millicent Thoroughbred Racing Club. The night was very successful, with most appearing to enjoy the atmosphere and racing. Crowd numbers were significantly higher than the corresponding meeting last year and once again the club thanks the Millicent community for its support. We are now moving to make the Millicent Pacing Cup an annual event and planning is already underway to make next year’s meeting even more successful. Phil Wood (president), David Spier (committee member) Mount Gambier Racing Club